


Happily Ever After

by ZoisiteMoon



Series: Eyes on Me [8]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Human, Aromantic Asexual Garnet (Steven Universe), Aromantic Asexual Peridot, Aromantic Asexual White Diamond, Autistic Alexandrite (Steven Universe), Autistic Character, Autistic Peridot (Steven Universe), Canon Lesbian Character, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Childbirth, F/F, F/M, Graduation, Graduation Speech, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Malachite is Envy, Misgendering, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Envy (Fullmetal Alchemist), Post-Steven Universe Future, Slice of Life, Teen Pregnancy, They/Them Pronouns for Envy (Fullmetal Alchemist), Trans Bismuth (Steven Universe), Trans Female Character, Trans Jasper (Steven Universe), Trans Ruby (Steven Universe), Transmasculine Envy (Fullmetal Alchemist), Valedictorian Speech, deadnaming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:54:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28667307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoisiteMoon/pseuds/ZoisiteMoon
Summary: Things finally seem to be looking for the Harvey-Dahls, but when a family death shakes up their life, how will they deal with it? Will they have to uproot everything to once again start over in a new place? Maybe they'll get their happily ever after after all...
Relationships: Alphonse Elric/Edward Elric/Envy, Bismuth/Pearl (Steven Universe), Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe, Dante/Father (Fullmetal Alchemist), Edward Elric/Winry Rockbell, Greed/Lan Fan/Ling Yao, Lars Barriga/Emerald, Mei Chan | May Chang/Alphonse Elric, Ruby/Sapphire (Steven Universe), Sadie Miller/Shep, Trisha Elric/Van Hohenheim
Series: Eyes on Me [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1451692
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Before we begin, let's get something out of the way first. Yes, this is a crossover with Fullmetal Alchemist. Yes, this is the first time I'm writing a fanfic with FMA characters. Yes, this may get confusing. Why? Well, given how complicated the canon relationships between the Elric brothers and the homunculi already are, things are bound to get more complicated as certain revelations come to light.
> 
> Also, Malachite from "Being Human" is Envy. Malachite will in fact be coming back in this fanfic, and they will be giving birth to Garnet's child.
> 
> Also, once again, I'll be giving names for certain characters so readers don't get confused on who's who.
> 
> White Diamond= Whitney Diamond  
> Yellow Diamond= Golda "Goldie" Diamond  
> Blue Diamond= Maya Diamond  
> Bismuth= Belinda  
> Spinel= Spinel Reynolds  
> Lapis Lazuli= Nyoko Goshima  
> Envy= Malachite Henderson ("Malachite" is only a nickname)  
> Lust= Solaris Henderson  
> Pride= Selim Henderson  
> Wrath= Bradley Henderson  
> Greed= Axel Henderson  
> Gluttony= Kirby Henderson  
> Sloth= Bruce Henderson  
> Father= William Henderson  
> Dante= Dante Lyra Henderson

It was a remarkably warm March day. Malachite was now thirty-six weeks along, and Garnet and her mothers couldn’t have been more excited. It seemed like it would only be a matter of time before Ruby and Sapphire would officially become grandmothers to a special little child. They had no idea what Malachite was having, but that was the least of their worries. All they needed to look forward was a happy and healthy child, and that child would grow up with one of the best mothers on the planet.

On this remarkably warm spring day, Ruby and Sapphire were setting up brunch together to eat along with their daughter, Pearl, Amy, Belinda, Jasper, and Peri. Nyoko was a no-show, however, since she was staying out at Alexandra’s motel room in West Virginia to play video games with her.

“Alright, those bagel sandwiches are almost ready,” Sapphire announced. “Ruby, do you know where the cream cheese is?”

Ruby rummaged through the fridge for a bit before finally producing it from the middle of one of the interior shelves. "Right here!"

Sapphire turned to see her wife holding up the tub of cream cheese. "Oh, thank you, Rube. I was worried for a sec that we might be out."

"No problem, babe. Man, I can't wait to visit Steven later this month. He's been doing so much better since he met Ulysses."

Sapphire smiled and nodded. "I've noticed. He seems happier lately."

"Yeah. Okay, so, uh... is everything ready to serve?"

"Almost. Just gotta assemble the sandwiches first. Then I'm gonna have to bring out the orange juice and that leftover salmon from last night."

"Gotcha." Ruby gave her wife a wink and called everyone else in the house to come over and eat.

"Alright!" Amy yelled out while coming into view. "It's about time, guys."

"Same here," Pearl joined in. "I'm starving."

The rest of the group chimed in their own agreeing statements.

"Alright, guys, dig in!" Ruby shouted happily.

* * *

The brunch left everyone at the table feeling somewhat as full as ticks. Amy, however, still craved something sweet and so went rummaging through the freezer for some ice cream. Meanwhile, the rest of the people started going over what to do for the day.

"Alright," Sapphire began to speak. "Well, I guess I'll start going through the mail and see if we got anything important today."

"Good idea," Ruby replied. "You can do that while I clean everything up."

Sapphire just blushed at this. "Aw, thank you, Ruby."

Ruby just gave out a smug grin. "Anything for my wife."

While Sapphire went outside to get the mail, Ruby got to work cleaning everything off the table and putting away all things that needed to be cleaned. Meanwhile, Amy was happily eating ice cream straight out of the carton when Pearl came along and chastised her for not leaving enough ice cream for everyone else. Amy couldn't help but just roll her eyes at this and then have a mischievous idea come to her head.

“Food fight!” Amy flung a scoop of mint ice cream at the back of Pearl’s head. "Ha ha, gotcha!"

Pearl immediately flinched from the icy-cold, sticky feeling. “Amy! Why do you have to act like such a child?”

“Uh, ‘cause I am one?”

“No, Amy! You can’t just throw food at people’s heads!”

“Oh yeah? Why don’t you try to stop me?”

Pearl let out a growly scream and started chasing after Amy. “You’re going to act like an adult whether you want to or not!”

Sapphire just ignored that and continued sorting through the mail. She sorted through the bills to be paid later after the kitchen had been cleaned up. She continued to sort through the mail. Nothing out of the ordinary, as far as she could tell. However, there was one envelope that stood out. It appeared to be from her grandmother's estate. Curious, she opened it up and began to read the contents. One part stuck out to her most of all:

_To my two remaining children, Golda Ariadne and Maya Dorothea Diamond, I leave them with $1,000,000 each. To my grandson Steven Curtis Universe and his father Greg, I leave them with two-thirds of my wealth. Lastly, to my granddaughter Sapphire Elizabeth Dahl, I leave the entirety of Diamond Bright Records to her, including all the artists currently under contract._

Sapphire let the paper drop, the rest of the words fading into nothing; clauses and situations, numbers and facts she couldn't process right then. 

"What, are you okay?" Ruby asked out of concern. "Did somethin' happen?"

Sapphire did not give an immediate response.

"Babe? Can you hear me?" Ruby asked again.

"It's Grandma Diamond," Sapphire finally replied, starting to tear up. "She's gone."

Sapphire's expression darkened while she tried to control her sobs. If there was one thing she'd prided herself on, it was her self-control. Still, Ruby hugged her wife tightly as Sapphire failed to suppress her tears.

"Just let it go, baby…" Ruby softly told Sapphire while patting her on the back.

Sapphire did as she was told. Her screams shook the very foundations of the beach house, cracking every pane of glass along the way. Sensing the pain Sapphire was going through, Amy and Pearl proceeded to stop whatever they were doing and get out of the house.

"What's going on?" Garnet asked as she walked back out of her room. "I could hear Mom crying from in my room."

She was met with absolute silence.

"Great-Grandma Diamond's dead, isn't she?" Garnet asked again.

More silence was her answer. It was all she needed to confirm her fears.

A minute went by before Garnet sadly lowered her head to the ground. "I figured just as much. Great-Grandma Diamond wasn't doing so well. It was only a matter of time before she had to go."

Sapphire sniffled. "Well, your great-grandmother did leave the entirety of Diamond Bright Records to me, so... I guess there's that."

Garnet looked at her mother in confusion. "She did?"

"Yeah. That means the weight of that whole record company is on my shoulders now..." Sapphire still tried to let it sink in that she was now owner of her grandmother's record company. "Oh my God, I don't think I even know the first thing about running a company." Her breathing began to hitch. “How the hell am I supposed to run a company with no experience whatsoever?”

“I... I don’t know,” Ruby answered, seemingly as lost as Sapphire was. “I’m really sorry about what happened to your grandma, though. I know we didn’t exactly like each other or anything, but... it’s sad that she’s gone, you know?”

“I didn’t care that much for her, either, after she started treating me badly when she found out I was gay. But... she was my grandmother. I just...” Sapphire started tearing up again. “It’s complicated.”

"I'm sorry, Sapphy..." Ruby hugged her wife again. "I really am, but we'll get through this."

"This doesn't even make any sense. As far as I know, Grandma Diamond wouldn't have put me in her will until very recently. Why would she do it now, especially after everything she put me through? Guilt, maybe? I don't know. I..." Sapphire let out a shaky sigh. "I don't know. I don't know."

"It's okay, we'll be okay. We'll get through this."

Sapphire's sobs started deadening the longer Ruby held her tight. It was hard dealing with so much at once, but she knew she needed to be strong.

* * *

There was a somewhat gentle atmosphere within the funeral home, especially given the nature of the deceased. Laying within the open gray casket was Whitney Blanche Diamond, the elderly record mogul who'd recently passed away in her sleep. The mortuary makeup artist must've done a thorough job doing Whitney's makeup, nails, and hair because the late matriarch actually looked better at her own funeral than she ever did while alive. With the guidance of Whitney's twin daughters and grandchildren, the makeup artist picked out the kind of colors Whitney had worn in life. Whitney's smoky gray eyeshadow was held in place with some hairspray, and her dark blood red (practically black) lipstick was diligently painted on as if it were applied on a porcelain doll. Her nails were painted black because that was her nail polish color of choice and it always juxtaposed starkly against her milky-white skin. Her foundation was also airbrushed on, especially to cleverly hide away signs of decay. Her hearing aids had been diligently placed into her ears as well, perhaps for the sake of accuracy. As for attire, Whitney was outfitted with a long, flowing, billowing white dress and accompanying cape covered with glitter and stars. This dress had held some sentimental value to the now-deceased woman, as it was the very dress she'd worn when she publicly opened Diamond Bright Records to the world in 1965. Amazingly, even after all those years, it still fit her.

In attendance were Whitney's twins Goldie and Maya, her granddaughter Sapphire and family, her grandson Steven and his father, her caretaker Spinel, and Petunia's sperm donor father Ulysses Scheele and his family. Gustavo and Rogelio were also there, extending their condolences to their boss Goldie.

"Hey, Miss Diamond," Gustavo said to her. "Rogelio and I heard what happened, and we're sorry."

Goldie was silent, the signs of weariness obvious on her face. The showers she had taken were merely out of necessity rather than want. Her clothes were also unkempt, her yellow suit jacket especially completely wrinkled up and her matching suit pants just as wrinkled.

Now it was Rogelio's turn to speak. "That's fine. You're still in the shock phase. You don't have to say anything…" He placed his thick hand upon his boss's shoulder and sighed. "I think we all know what it's like to lose a parent."

Goldie began to tremble, silently crying to herself and not noticing the world around her. She didn't even feel the record producers hug her tightly and cry with her.

"Gustavo, Rogelio…" Goldie sobbed in between gasps for air. "It hurts…" She clutched Rogelio's suit jacket and sank to the floor. "It really, really hurts!"

"It's alright, ma'am…" Rogelio picked his boss up from the floor and helped her into her chair. "Tell you what, how about we go outside? Get some fresh air?"

Goldie couldn't help but nod, and she proceeded to follow her employees out of the building for a moment.

Just as Goldie, Gustavo, and Rogelio had all stepped foot outside, a woman of Sino-Japanese descent rolled up in her hot pink 2004 Lamborghini Gallardo, her husband and children in tow. As the woman and her husband and two children stepped out of the luxurious sports car, Gustavo and Rogelio couldn’t help but observe that the woman and her family were all dressed in black.

“Well, hello, um...” Gustavo was about to speak before the woman’s beauty (as well as her scantily clad funeral outfit) distracted him.

The woman just walked in past the men and their boss. Clearly, there was a lot more on her mind than the death of her boss. Her husband and children followed right behind her. The woman and her family then sauntered over to where Maya was.

“Excuse me, Miss Diamond?” the woman quietly asked Maya. “Can I talk to you in private?”

“S-Sure,” Maya replied, her eyes still red and sore from crying so hard. “But what is it that you need?”

“Well, I was hoping to tender my resignation today.”

Maya’s breath caught in her throat, not quite knowing what to say.

“Yes, yes, I know,” the woman quickly said. “It’s not exactly the right time to do that, but I don’t think I have quite the same passion for music now than I did when I was 16 and still a new artist.”

“Are you sure you want to do that, Junifer?” Maya asked, still not quite over the shock of the news.

“Absolutely. I want to actually be there for my kids. They need me to be there for them.”

“I mean, if that’s what you want... but you’ve had a good run. You don’t have to...”

“Yes, I do, Miss Diamond. My mind has been made up. I’ll be giving my two weeks’ notice after the funeral.”

“Alright, fine.” Maya made a quick glance at her mother’s coffin. “Speaking of... do you want to stay for a little bit? The service is about to start.”

Junifer softly nodded. “Sure, I don’t see why not.”

Just as quickly as Junifer gave her answer, Goldie and her loyal employees had already come back inside. ABBA's "Thank You for the Music" played softly in the background. It was Greg who suggested it be played during the funeral. First up to give a eulogy was Steven. He started off by going into great detail about his grandmother and what her life had been like. After he finished giving an oral history on his grandmother (especially the sordid details of her life), he started giving the surviving family advice on how to stand strong in the face of tragedy and hardship. Meanwhile, Goldie just sat there, listening to Steven give his eulogy. She couldn’t help but fume during it, but it wasn’t until Steven brought up Sapphire’s story of overcoming homophobia that Goldie finally felt the need to say something.

“To hell with Sapphire!” Goldie yelled. “The only reason she even got ownership of Mom’s company is because Steven told her to give it to her!”

This caused the entire congregation to gasp out loud. Ruby and Sapphire promptly left in humiliation, with Garnet trailing right behind them. Spinel just gave Goldie a steely glare.

"Whoa there, Goldie,” Greg piped up. “I get that you’re still in pain, but bringing that up was just uncalled for! How do you even know that’s what happened? You don’t! Besides, don’t you think Sapphire’s gone through enough terrible things in her life?"

Goldie scoffed. “Oh, that’s rich coming from the man who killed my sister!”

Greg could only sit there and tremble in anger while Steven gently pat him on the shoulder.

“Uh, Goldie?” Maya quietly asked. “Maybe you should go.”

Goldie huffed in response. “Why should I? I’m only speaking the truth.”

“Goldie, please...”

“Get off my back, Maya! I’m not in the mood to hear your bullshit!”

“Goldie, stop. I’m only trying to help...”

“I don’t need your help right now, Maya! Back off, for serious!”

Maya let out a silent but heavy sigh and sat down in her seat.

“Get out of here, Goldie,” Keanu suddenly spoke up. “Right now.”

Goldie said nothing.

Now it was Ulysses’ turn to speak. “Just go, Goldie. You’ve already caused enough of a scene today. Be sure to let your niblings know when you're ready to apologize to them for insulting them.”

Goldie finally did as she was told and left the service before the second eulogy had even begun. She knew that she was nowhere near ready to go home to the house her mother died in, so she decided to stay at a hotel for a few days and try to reflect on as much of her life as she could. She felt this was something she needed to do in order to heal and (hopefully) move on with her life.


	2. Chapter 2

Ruby couldn't help but fume to herself while she, Sapphire, and Garnet walked out into the parking lot of the funeral home. She tried to hold her emotions for as long as she possibly could, but it was only when they managed to make it inside Greg's Volkswagen bus that she finally snapped.

"That fucking bitch!" Ruby screamed at the top of her lungs. "How dare she disrespect you like that!"

Sapphire could only offer a sad little sniffle in response. She couldn't help but cry silently ever since they left the funeral home.

"I mean, who does she think she is?!" Ruby continued to yell. "Telling people that you didn't deserve it... what a bunch of bullshit. Why, if I ever see your Aunt Goldie again, I'll---"

"Mama," Garnet calmly cut Ruby off. "Now's not the time to get upset."

"It's the perfect time to get upset, Garnet! Your great-aunt just insulted your mom's honor!"

"Yes, I'm aware of that, but pointing fingers at people won't bring Great-Grandma Diamond back."

Ruby couldn't help but agree with what her daughter was saying. "Y-You're right. It's just... everything's been real crazy lately, you know? I mean, you're about to become a mother, your mom will be taking over Diamond Bright Records God knows how long from now, and..." She just sighed and slumped back on the seat. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be mad, but I am. You understand, right, Garnet?"

Garnet nodded her head. "Of course, Mama. We all have different ways of coping with unexpected events in our lives; some of them not as preferable as others, but it varies on the individual."

Even though Garnet was only twenty-three years old, it seemed incredible that she could be so wise beyond her years. Ruby, in fact, couldn't have been prouder of her daughter than she was at that very moment. Still, Garnet had to see that not everything was as cut and dry as her reasoning was.

After sniffling and sobbing a few more times, Sapphire finally said something. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have let what Aunt Goldie said get to me..."

Ruby reached over and patted her wife on the hand. "It's alright, baby. It's been a stressful week for all of us, but we can get through this, right, Garnet?"

"Course, Mama. We've gotten through worse situations before."

* * *

After a couple hours on the road, Ruby and the rest of the gang were finally home. Steven had trailed behind his dad in his own car, and he came home not much longer after that. Once inside the beach house, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Thank God all that's over," Belinda said. "I don't know how much more of this funeral drama I was gonna be able to take."

"Me too," Greg agreed. "Goldie acted so horribly over Sapphire getting control of the record label instead of her. I wonder why..."

"Maybe she's jealous," Amy jokingly suggested.

"I guess. I mean, I'm sure Whitney had a good reason for leaving her company to Sapphire, but man... talk about bringing out the worst in people. And I thought Marty was bad..."

"Aw, what's it matter? Whitney's gone now and there's nothing else that can be done about it."

While Greg and Amy continued to converse, Steven and Garnet were setting up a Zoom meeting with Malachite. It took a few minutes before Malachite joined the meeting along with four other people.

"Hey, Malachite," Steven greeted the pregnant transmasculine teenager. "How's it going? Who's the group of people behind you?"

Malachite looked behind them at the two sets of couples on the hotel bed, then back to Steven and Garnet on the screen. "Oh, those are some family members of mine. The two blond boys I told you I'd been in a love triangle with? Their names are Edward and Alphonse Elric. They're also my uncles, half-uncles to be exact."

Steven was rather taken aback by this revelation. "What? Garnet, did you know about this before?"

Garnet just nodded in response. "Malachite told me once that they'd been in a love triangle before finding out the brothers were their uncles. Once they found out, they broke off the triangle."

Steven wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. "Okay... so Malachite, what about the two girls sitting with your... uncles?"

"Oh, they're Ed and Al's girlfriends. The blonde girl with blue eyes is named Winry Rockbell, and the Chinese girl with black hair and dark eyes is named May Chang."

"Aw, that's nice. So how long have the girls known your uncles?"

"Oh, Winry and my uncles have been friends since childhood. She's been with Ed for as long as I've been preggo. Alphonse and May have only known each other for about a couple years and been together for six months."

"Ah, congrats. So... how have you been lately?"

Malachite and the other four people all said something along the lines of "Good" or "Great" in unison.

Steven gave an amused chuckle. "That's great, but I was asking about how the pregnancy's coming along."

"It's been... alright," Malachite replied. "Dysphoria is still a big issue for me, but then I've been kinda used to it by now."

"What about any cravings? Have you had any weird ones?"

"Well... I got a craving for Al's homemade astronaut ice cream that he's been trying to get us to eat. I don't know if I'll still like it after I have the baby, but it's actually pretty good. It's basically like meringue cookies, but with ice cream. Guess Al was right after all... oh, yeah, I've also really been into shrimp cocktail sauce that's been mixed with mac and cheese."

"Can't be any weirder than my mom's cravings, I guess. Dad told me once that when Mom was pregnant with me, she couldn't get enough of pizza topped with Sour Patch Kids or peanut butter and avocado sandwiches. Dad also said that she really liked to drink Worcestershire sauce straight from the bottle."

"Wait, isn't that made with anchovies?"

"Yep." Steven bit his lip. "Man, pregnancy can be weird, huh?"

"You got that right." Malachite winced a bit as they put their hand to their belly. "Shit..."

Steven was starting to get alarmed. "What's wrong? Are you going into labor?"

"Nah, the baby just kicked really hard. It's been doing that a lot lately."

Steven breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God."

"It can get pretty damn annoying, though."

"I bet. You know what to do when it's time, right?"

"Oh yeah, I've got Garnet on speed-dial and everything. I mean, she is gonna be my baby's mom, after all. It only seems right that she should be there for me when I actually have it."

"Speaking of.. you're getting pretty close."

"Yeah, I'm actually nearly full term. Man, I cannot wait for this thing to be over. I've hated almost every minute of it: the mood swings, the morning sickness, the soreness, the near-lack of sleep, not being able to bind my chest... almost everything."

"Don't worry, it'll be over soon enough."

"Yeah. Anyway, thanks for looking out for me. Not just Garnet, but you and the rest of her friends. You guys truly are the best family I've ever met."

Steven couldn't help but feel flattered. "Thanks."

"No problem. Uh, there's something else I need to talk with Garnet about. Uh, maybe you should leave us alone for a minute while we talk?"

"Oh... okay." Steven slowly started backing out of the webcam's view. "Is it something private between you two?"

"Yeah."

Steven backed completely out of the webcam's sight. "Okay."

Steven then started walking away until he could no longer hear the conversation going on between Garnet and Malachite.


	3. Chapter 3

"So how are you feeling?" Garnet asked Malachite.

Malachite sighed. "Like I said, I've hated almost every minute of this thing. I just want to have this baby already, but I have to wait a couple more weeks or so before that can happen."

"Shouldn't be much longer."

"I know. Also, something I wanted to ask you."

"Yes, Malachite?"

"Do you want me to name this kid or just you?"

"Well, I thought it was understood that I would be the one to name the child."

Malachite tried to hide their disappointment. "Ah, I see."

"With that said, I'm open to any suggestions you might have. Just one request: don't come up with anything too silly. After all, their name is something they'll have to put down for job applications when they get older."

Malachite nodded. "Understandable."

"Alright, good. Why don't you just type out the suggestions for me on the chat box?" Garnet looked back to her mothers and roommates. "I don't want my mums and roommates to know what you're having just yet."

Malachite grumbled slightly before doing as they were told. Garnet then scanned over just what exactly Malachite had typed out for her and gave a soft smile. She had a good feeling about those names.

* * *

Later in the evening, Ruby and Sapphire arranged a meeting with Maya to occur within the next week. This particular meeting with Sapphire's aunt was to discuss Diamond Bright Records' future and how the record label would change with Sapphire at the helm. They also arranged to meet up with Malachite and the teen's uncles and grandfather during the same week. The two wives figured it would be possible to get two meetings in New York out of the way just before they were to become grandmothers. It would at least help Sapphire relax after the meeting with Maya when it was time to hang out with Malachite and their family.

In the days leading up to the meetings with Maya and Malachite, Belinda and Pearl rushed to help finish up the nursery in a spare room for Garnet's soon-to-be-born child. It made them think about their own potential future little one and how the child would interact with their roommates. Amy purchased a lot of funny toys, particularly ones that weren't exactly marketed towards babies. Everyone else made their own contributions for the nursery, whether they actually pertained to being appropriate for babies or not. Soon, as if in no time at all, the nursery was finished.

Soon, the week had finally arrived for Ruby, Sapphire, and Garnet to make the trip to New York and meet up with Maya and Malachite. The family of three said their goodbyes to the others before heading out on a forty-four-minute flight from Delaware to New York. It didn't take much time before the Harvey-Dahls made their way to Maya's studio apartment in Manhattan. Garnet was the first one to knock on Maya's door. The Harvey-Dahls waited almost a minute before Maya opened the door.

"Oh, hello, Garnet," Maya greeted her great-niece. "I didn't think I'd see you or your mothers after the funeral for a while."

"Me neither," Garnet rejoined. "I believe my mothers wanted to talk to you about Diamond Bright Records' future?"

"Oh yes, that's right. I was actually sort of dreading this conversation, especially since Goldie has been... well, you know."

Garnet nodded solemnly. "I understand."

"Why don't you come on in? I haven't had many visitors lately."

The Harvey-Dahls did precisely that. Ruby and Sapphire couldn't help but gawk at the kind of furnishings Maya had in her apartment. Apparently, Maya had a sort of nostalgia for mid-century decor with an added hint of the kind of '70s furniture aesthetic that still plagued Sapphire's nightmares to this day. The Harvey-Dahls were not there to stare at a relative's furniture like they were in a museum, however. They were there to try to explore how Diamond Bright Records could survive without Whitney to guide it. Maya was supposed to help alleviate any concerns Sapphire might have at running a company with little to no experience.

"So..." Maya began. "Is there something you wanted to ask, first and foremost?"

"Uh, yes," Sapphire replied. "So how does someone run a company they were inherited, exactly? I'm guessing that Grandma had to work her way up some before she could actually found a record label and run it like she did for decades. How does it work for something who didn't do any of that?"

Maya wasted no time in answering. "Well, first off, you're going to have to gather as much information as you can about Diamond Bright Records. You're going to have to complete an assessment of the business’s value factors and drivers, operations, financials, personnel, facilities, legal status, and industry. I don't think we'd have time to do it all today, but perhaps sometime later this month or early next month, I could help you do all that."

"Jeez, that sounds like a lot of work, doesn't it?" Ruby asked.

"Of course it's a lot of work," Maya replied. "Doing due diligence on a business is an exhaustive, document-heavy process, sure, but you don’t want to overlook anything."

"Okay, so what else needs to be done?"

"Well... you'll have to review Mom’s succession plan and business plan. Her succession plan prepares the groundwork for a new owner to take over the business, so you'll have to use that to gain an insider’s perspective on the company. Succession plans often contain information about training that the new owner should receive, access to confidential information, and intel on competitors."

"Damn, sounds like Whitney had it all figured out before she died."

"Of course. Now Mom's business plan can also be very helpful when you’re learning the ropes."

"How do you mean?"

"Business plans, especially ones like Mom's, contain information about the company’s market positioning, advertising strategy, and financial goals..."

And so it went on like that, with Maya explaining everything that Ruby and Sapphire needed to know if they were to take over Diamond Bright Records. Ruby was progressively growing bored with Maya's long-winded explanation of how to run the record label. She just wanted to get to the part already where Sapphire would have to decide whether to take over the record label or not.

"Alright, alright," Ruby finally interrupted. "It's nice to know this stuff and all, but have you even considered whether Sapphy wants to even take over the record label?"

"Oh... oh, no," Maya replied. "I haven't. So then I guess the only thing left to do would be to ask Sapphire." She and Ruby both turned to look at the woman who'd inherited Diamond Bright Records. "Alright, Sapphire, what now?"

Sapphire wasn't quite sure how to process it. "What?"

"What do you plan to do with Diamond Bright Records?" Maya asked again. "Do you want to take it over or hand it off to me and Goldie? It's all up to you now."

Sapphire had to think long and hard about her decision, weighing out the pros and cons that came with whatever answer she could give. She also had to consider whether she could fulfill her dreams of becoming a singer like she'd always wanted. She had to consider whether it would be worth it now... like it would've been over seventeen years ago when she'd passed up on that opportunity. After several minutes of pondering on her final answer, she gave it to them.

"I... would like to take it over..." Sapphire finally replied.

Ruby, Garnet, and Maya were all left speechless. It was especially shocking for Ruby, considering that Sapphire had seemed hesitant on leaving everything behind again... like before. Nonetheless, she knew that when she and Sapphire had exchanged their vows over three years ago, she'd have no choice but to try and support her wife as best as she could.

"Alright," Ruby said. "If that's what you want to do, Sapphy, then so be it."

Sapphire just smiled at her wife. "Thanks, Ruby. I knew I could count on you."


	4. Chapter 4

Later that night, the Harvey-Dahls had decided that they were going to stay at Maya's studio apartment for the week rather than stay at a hotel. At the very least, it was cheaper. However, while Ruby and Sapphire had already turned in, Garnet had decided to stay up just a little longer to do a FaceTime call with Malachite's grandfather Van Hohenheim over something.

"So how has Malachite been since they decided to stay with you?" Garnet asked Van.

"They've been doing just fine," Van replied. "I've been making sure they take their prenatal vitamins every week and just take good care of themself."

"Ah, that's good. What about the rest of the family?"

"Ed and Al, you mean? They're actually doing a great job tending to Malachite's needs. I have to be honest, I didn't quite take it well at first when they told me one of them might be the father. I even suggested that, well..." He didn't outright say what the suggestion was, but it was apparent what he meant to convey.

"Understandable. Having a child with your uncle is not something you'd want to publicly tell people. It's not even something I would recommend."

"Still, I admire how brave you are to adopt from us." Van chuckled nervously. "I mean, our family's pretty messed up already. We didn't need incest on top of that."

Garnet couldn't help but laugh at that. She understood to an extent where he was coming from. Her own family was a little convoluted, what with her mum Sapphire and great-aunt Petunia having been the same age; plus, her great-grandma had been a product of incest herself.

Van cleared his throat. "Anyway, so how have things been going for you and everyone else?"

Garnet made a quick glance over to her mothers. "Oh, our roommates just recently finished the nursery. Everything is on track."

"Good. So what are you and your moms doing right now?"

"We're in New York right now. We've decided it would be cheaper to spend the week in Aunt Maya's apartment than to stay at a hotel."

"Aunt Maya?"

"Yes, my great-aunt Maya. You know... Maya Diamond?"

Something clicked in Van's head. "Oh, wait a minute, I think I remember now. My granddaughter Solaris is one of her clients."

Garnet practically jumped in her seat. "She is? Huh, what a small world we live in."

"You got that right." Silence passed for about a minute before he started speaking again. "So... anything else going on in your life that I need to know about?"

Garnet wasn't sure whether or not to tell him about Sapphire's decision to take over Diamond Bright Records. She was still kinda daunted by the decision herself, unsure how to fully process it.

"Well?" Van asked again.

Garnet shook her head out of a daze. "Sorry. Um, well, you heard that my great-grandma Whitney died, right?"

"Yes, I heard."

"Okay, so apparently, in her will, she decided to leave Diamond Bright Records to my mum Sapphire, her granddaughter."

"And?"

"Well..." Garnet nervously scratched the back of her head. "Mum decided that she was going to take over for my great-grandma. I was there when she made that decision, too."

Van was flummoxed by this kind of news. "So what are you going to do now? I mean, your friends back in Beach City have worked so hard to get everything ready for your child. How are you going to tell them that your mums have decided to start a new life here?"

"That's the thing. I don't know what I'm going to do after Mum takes over for Great-Grandma Diamond."

"Okay, so what sounds reasonable to you?"

"I mean, obviously, I'm a grown woman. I don't have to go live with my mums in New York if I don't want to, but I don't know if I'd want to stay in Beach City without them nearby."

"What about your child? What do you want to do about that?"

"I want my child to grow up in Beach City with my friends here to help raise them."

"Then that's what you want to do."

"Are you sure? Even if it means my mums will have to live far away from me?"

Van nodded. "I'm positive. It doesn't seem fair to already uproot everything for your child before it's even here."

Garnet decided that he was right. "Alright. Well, I think it's time for me to end the call right here. First thing tomorrow morning, I'm telling my mothers that I won't be moving to New York with them. I hope to meet up with you guys tomorrow."

"Me too. Alright, take care and get some sleep. Malachite can't wait to see you again."

"You too."

With that, Garnet ended the FaceTime call and flopped down on the futon couch with a sigh. Okay, so she knew she had to tell her mums first thing in the morning that she'd stay behind in Delaware. Now she had to figure how to tell her roommates that Sapphire had decided to take over the record label. She wasn't at all certain that they'd take the news well, but who knew? She'd have to worry about all that later. She needed to get some sleep, and that's exactly what she planned to do. She closed her eyes and quickly drifted off.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, Garnet decided to follow through with what she'd promised herself. Surely, her mothers would understand where she was coming from. They'd have to, right? The first thing she did was wake them up.

"Mum, Mama?" Garnet asked her mothers. "Can I ask you something?"

Ruby was still somewhat drowsy. "Sure, Garnet, what is it?"

"Would it be alright if, um..." Garnet crossed her ankles, a nervous tic stemming from childhood. "...I stayed behind in Beach City while you guys settled down in New York?"

"Huh? Of course it's alright by us. Why? Are you worried that your mom and I won't be there for you anymore once she takes over Diamond Bright Records?"

Garnet sighed heavily. "Somewhat. I talked about it with Van last night, and... well, I mean, the thought of raising my child without you guys nearby... it's kind of daunting. But the thought of having to leave everybody else behind also scares me. I don't really want to do it alone."

Ruby just smiled warmly at her daughter and grasped her daughter's hand. "Garnet, sweetie, you won't have to do it alone. Your mom and I are always going to be around to offer advice should you ever need it. You've also got your roommates to help you out." 

"Besides, you don't need to worry about not seeing us often once everything is settled," Sapphire chimed in. "That's what Zoom is for."

"You're right, guys. I guess I'm just scared I might fuck it all up or something."

"Ah, c'mon, your mom and I made some mistakes while raising you and yet, here you are," Ruby said. "You're strong and smart and patient. I know you can handle this."

Garnet's anxious frown made way for a small, hopeful smile instead. "You're right. Thanks for believing in me."

Ruby just chuckled. "I mean, hey, what are parents for?"

* * *

While reading a manga, Malachite pressed a hand against their bulging belly, feeling tiny but strong kicks that had only increased with frequency as the months progressed. Their abdomen was a stark contrast to their athletic build, which made trying to affirm their identity a little harder than they would have liked. Not many people took them seriously whenever Malachite tried to explain that they were non-binary (more specifically, transmasculine), and it was just an upsetting thing to deal with on top of the dysphoria they were experiencing. They also had to put binding on hold as soon as possible, mainly because they weren't entirely sure how they could bind without accidentally leaking. All in all, it was not a pleasant experience for them.

Malachite felt a sharp pang against their stomach, their hand feeling the same soft touch. Things like this made them doubt their decision to give the child up to someone else, but they knew Garnet would be a good mother... no, beyond that. She would be perfect. Another butterfly touch pushed against their hand. The teen couldn't help but smile a little. As much as they didn't want to admit it, it was rather endearing feeling the baby move. This certainly hadn't been the first time Malachite had felt spurts of movement, but today the baby was especially active.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Malachite was tempted to try to get up and see who it was, but Winry had already run to the door before Malachite could even begin attempting to lift themself off the couch.

"Who is it?" Winry asked out loud.

"It's me, Garnet," answered a disembodied voice from the other side. "We agreed to meet up today."

Winry jumped a little upon recognizing the voice. "Oh, right! Come on in."

The sixteen-year-old girl opened the door and let her guest in.

Ed looked up from his own reading and saw Garnet come in. "Hey, Garnet, good to see you stop by."

"Thanks," Garnet replied. "I guess it's a good thing we already scheduled this meeting. I need to hang out for a bit after what happened yesterday."

"Uh... what exactly happened yesterday?"

Garnet explained everything that had happened the day before, mainly the part where Sapphire had decided to take over for Diamond Bright Records and start anew in New York with Ruby. She also told him and the other teens about her FaceTime conversation with Van and her decision to stay in Beach City.

"Oh, wow, that couldn't have been an easy decision to make," Al said.

"It wasn't," Garnet replied. "At least my mums took it well. I'm not sure how our friends will take it, though."

"Well, I guess if your moms took it well, maybe your friends will, too."

"I certainly hope so. This isn't even the first time Mum has had an opportunity to join her family in the music industry handed to her."

"Hey, Garnet, it kicked again," Malachite suddenly piped up. "Do you guys want to feel?"

Malachite pulled back their skeleton black and white tie-dye T-shirt from Hot Topic and ran a hand over their stomach, which had nary a stretch mark thanks to Al insisting on applying almond oil to it every chance he got.

Everyone else answered along the lines of, "Oooh! Yes!"

Garnet was the first one to lay her hands against Malachite's swollen belly. She smiled as she felt several soft, butterfly-like touches. That was her child in there. That was the child that she'd soon bring home to Delaware. She still couldn't believe this was even happening to her. She couldn't imagine the feeling that would come when she held that child for the first time. She giggled while the baby furiously kicked several times.

"Hey, sweetie," Garnet said while still giggling. "It's your mummy! I can't wait for you to come out!"

Malachite couldn't help but laugh themself. "Yeah, yeah, the hard part's still around the corner."

Garnet soon moved her hands away from Malachite's stomach and took a couple steps back, allowing for the potential fathers to get in a feel as well. She couldn't help but take pride in herself, in having two of the best moms in the world prepare her for her own parenting journey. It wouldn't be much longer until Garnet could finally meet her child, and she absolutely couldn't wait.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys. This chapter contains a fairly realistic depiction of childbirth (which can be pretty graphic). If this is something that triggers you or is just not something you want to read, then you should probably stop and leave.
> 
> Also, this is the longest chapter I've put out ever. It's even longer than the second-to-final chapter I wrote for my Pearlnet fanfic "Here I Am."
> 
> I digress. One final thing to note is that the terms "mud" and "muddy" are, in this case, gender-neutral terms for parents. I specifically got "muddy" from over here: https://genderqueeries.tumblr.com/titles
> 
> Anyway, please enjoy.

Just a couple days later, Ruby, Sapphire, Garnet, and Maya sat at the dining table, eating breakfast that Maya made herself. They talked for a time about everything that had been going on in their lives, especially in regards to Ruby and Sapphire preparing to make New York their permanent home. Garnet was still somewhat sad that this had to happen, but she also tried to be happy for her mothers. This was finally Sapphire's chance to claim her lifelong dream... in a way. She probably wouldn't get to be a professional singer like she wanted, but she would be in control over the record label that her grandmother ran for over sixty years. Garnet couldn't imagine how it must have felt for Sapphire to turn the last opportunity down over seventeen years ago, but she tried her best to understand why she did it.

"So... are you looking forward to becoming grandmas?" Maya asked her niece and niece-in-law while sipping her cup of coffee.

Sapphire calmly nodded her head. "Oh yes, Ruby and I have just been counting down the days until our grandchild comes into the family. I have a great feeling about how they react to their new home."

"I especially can't wait to introduce our grandkid to football," Ruby said. "I can't wait to tell them all about how great it is or how much of a big deal Super Bowl is. I can't wait to show them all the great things about Beach City."

Maya just gave a soft smile. "That's good. I've been talking with Goldie about all this."

"What does she have to say about becoming a great-great-aunt?" Sapphire asked curiously.

"Well, she still can't believe it's happening... and, truth be told, neither can I. It does, however, give us something to live for. I just wish Mom could be here to meet her great-great-grandchild." She lowered her head to the ground in sadness. "Such a shame this had to happen."

Sapphire also lowered her head to the ground. "Yeah... but then life was never all that fair, was it?"

"No." Maya thought back to the words her mother told her the week after Sorcha had died. "It's not easy losing someone close to you, and it sure as hell will never get easier to move on. That's just a part of life. Life will always be hard. It's how we deal with it that matters."

"You're right. We just need to accept that Grandma Diamond's gone."

"Exactly."

All of a sudden, Garnet got up out of her seat and started heading for the door.

"Garnet, where are you going?" Maya asked her great-niece.

"Van's house," Garnet quickly replied. "I wanted to make sure I got there in case something happened."

"Ah, okay. Be sure to let us know when you plan to come back."

However, Garnet had already left in the time it took for Maya to say that.

* * *

Malachite sat on their grandfather's living room couch, reading over one of their mangas for the millionth time. Their hand sat gently on the curve of their stomach, feeling their unborn child squirm slightly. It was almost like the baby was readying itself for birth. Supposedly, Malachite was due in a couple more days (more specifically, they were due on their fifteenth birthday), but that hardly mattered anymore since there was a chance they could go into labor any time now. They knew that childbirth could be painful, scary, and undignified all at once, but they didn't want to think about that right now. They just wanted to read their manga.

All of a sudden, Malachite heard a knock at the door. The fourteen-year-old decided not to answer and to continue immersing themself into their manga instead. Thankfully, Van came by to answer the door.

"Oh, hey, Garnet," Van said when he saw who it was. "I didn't expect you to drop by today."

Garnet chuckled awkwardly. "Guess I should've texted you first before deciding to stop by."

"No, no, that's fine. I need some company anyway while the kids are out... well, except Malachite. They've been sitting on the couch all day, reading that manga of theirs. Are you hungry at all?"

"A little. I haven't eaten much since breakfast."

"Come on in."

While all that was going on, Malachite had started feeling twinges in their back. The first twinge was only slightly annoying, but this next one hurt slightly more. In addition, they felt some pressure build up inside them. That surely couldn't have been good. They decided to take a break and set their manga aside. Not even ten minutes later, a debilitating pain rippled through both their back and their stomach. They placed their hands on the spots that hurt and took a few deep breaths. That actually hurt way worse than the other two twinges, but it was still just an annoyance.

"God, this sucks..." Malachite just muttered to themself.

Now that was an understatement if they'd ever heard one. Malachite decided to get up and try to walk around for a bit, thinking that it would help to ward off the pain. Another sharp pain a few minutes later proved that sentiment wrong. Malachite doubled over slightly from the pain and cried out, gripping their swollen belly in a futile attempt to stop that ungodly feeling of their insides coming apart. So this was it; they seemed to have gone into labor by the looks of it. They tried to assess the situation as calmly as they could, but they couldn't even hear their own thoughts over their hyperventilating. They slowly lowered themself to the ground, feeling waves of anxiety wash over them for the first time since they'd come to terms with their gender identity.

Without warning, Malachite heard their grandfather call out to them. Oh no... they were so preoccupied by the pain that had overtaken them that they'd completely forgotten that Garnet and Van could see them sitting on the floor.

"Malachite, are you alright?" Van asked out of concern.

"I'm fine, Grandpa," Malachite lied, unable to mask the anxiety slipping through into their voice.

"Are you sure? You don't sound fine."

Warm tears ran down Malachite's cheeks and dripped off their chin. "I'm not... I think I'm in labor."

Van and Garnet both immediately jumped to their feet and grabbed Malachite, pulling them to stand.

"Hold on..." Van said. "I need to get something first before we head for the hospital. In the meantime, Malachite, why don't you hold onto Garnet for support?"

Malachite only gave Van a thumbs up to show they understood. 

"Just hurry up, please," Garnet said.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to do," Van replied. "I don't want to miss the birth of my great-grandchild for anything in the world."

While Van sprinted off to find the overnight luggage for Malachite (which included clothes that Garnet's child would come home to Delaware in), Garnet quickly guided Malachite out the door and by the passenger side of Van's 2021 Honda CR-V, where they were to wait until Van came outside.

"It's okay, Malachite," Garnet soothingly told Malachite. "Just remember those lamaze classes Ed and Winry took you to and breathe. In and out, in and out, deep breaths. Just like that."

Malachite leaned against the hybrid SUV with one arm above their head, panting like they'd just run a marathon while a contraction shot through them. Their face contorted in anguish as soon as the contraction reached its peak.

"How much longer until Grandpa gets out here?" Malachite asked irritatedly.

"Shouldn't be much longer," Garnet replied. She beamed when she saw Van finally emerge from the house. "And there he is."

"Alright, let's go," Van said. "I don't want to waste any more time."

"Same," Garnet replied.

Upon entering the 2021 Honda CR-V, everyone assumed seating positions. Garnet and Malachite took seats in the back row, mostly so Garnet could keep a close eye on the laboring teenager. Van himself got into the driver's seat and started up the SUV for the hospital nearest to him.

* * *

Malachite's water finally broke once they made it inside the hospital. It all came out in one big gush and left a huge puddle on the floor while also making it look like the fourteen-year-old had pissed themself, much to their chagrin. Malachite tried their best to resist the urge to scream out while the nurses had them moved into the maternity ward. They tried to distract themself with thoughts about the child they'd be giving up. It wouldn't be much longer until the child was here. It would've all been worth it just to hold that baby in their arms. As much as they tried to ignore the pain, however, it was too much to bear. It wasn't long before Malachite was transferred onto a bed and Van and Garnet were donning scrubs.

Tears brimmed in the corners of Malachite’s eyes and spilled down their face. "It hurts, you guys... it really, really hurts."

A nurse came in and produced a needle from one of her pockets.

“Roll onto your side, Malachite," Garnet said. "You can do it.”

Van could only watch as his grandchild rolled onto their side while they heaved. He watched Malachite wince while the nurse sank the needle into the teenager's lower back and then withdrew it just moments later. Soon, not long after they assumed a lying position on the bed, Malachite felt the agonizing pain give way to a numb rhythmic throb. Garnet and Van then proceeded to grab onto both of Malachite's hands.

"It's alright, Malachite," Garnet assured them. "It's going to be okay, I promise."

Van just stroked Malachite's hair, which by this point had become drenched in sweat. "I couldn't be any prouder of you than I am now. I know you can do this."

Malachite didn't say anything in response. They just bit down a scream while more tears streamed down their face, then gazed over to Garnet. 

"G-Garnet?" Malachite struggled to ask while another contraction passed through them. "How long does this tend to last?"

"From what I've read, labor can last for hours," Garnet replied calmly.

Malachite suddenly sat upright, sending pain jolting through their abdomen and back. "Hours?!"

"Shh, shh, shh…" Van tried to calm his grandchild down. He guided them back down onto the slanted bed, propping them up on the pillows. "It’s okay, it's okay. You're doing great so far. Just keep remembering to breathe."

Malachite tried to calm down despite the pain getting the best of them. They were panicking. They knew they were panicking, but it was impossible not to do so. Malachite felt another contraction begin. Now they were really strong and coming just minutes apart. As soon as the contraction reached its peak, the teenager let out an anguished cry.

"Shit!" Malachite shrieked while feeling the baby's head move into position. "It's coming, it's coming right now!"

The door opened, and Garnet and Van looked over to find Malachite’s doctor walking into the room, mask and gloves on. 

“Please tell me we’re getting close, Doc," Garnet said. "I don’t think Malachite can take much more.”

The doctor held up her hand and lifted Malachite’s gown, disappearing under it for a moment. When she came back out to the surface, she spoke some medical jargon regarding dilations and contractions. She then nodded to the nurse, and the door was closed.

“It’s time, Malachite," the doctor announced. "Are you ready?”

“Fuck no!” Malachite screamed while another contraction ripped through them.

The doctor stifled a chuckle while Malachite keened with pain. “No worries, that’s normal for your first time. Now it looks like the baby's starting to crown, so I’m going to need you to push when I say so. Can you do that?”

Malachite just groaned in response. "I don't know if I can do this, guys..."

“Hey, we're with you, okay?" Garnet asked. "Always. Now come on, Malachite. Push for us.”

Too overwhelmed to disobey, Malachite started to bear down. They pushed and pushed and tried to breathe between them for what felt like hours. Their grip tightened around Van and Garnet's hands, and the teen let out another scream.

"Good job, Malachite," Van told his grandchild soothingly. "Don't give up."

Malachite’s grip began softening up during the process, but only because they'd clutched their birth partners' fingers long enough that their own became tight and sore. Van was clenching his teeth as he felt the blood get cut off from his fingers.

“That’s it, Malachite!" the doctor yelled. "The baby’s head is coming through now. Push nice and easy.”

Screaming with each push, Malachite couldn’t tell if minutes or hours were passing by. Over. They just wanted this to be over. They wanted their child in their arms already.

“Just one more,” the doctor told Malachite.

A surging pain pulsed through Malachite, back full force, and they let loose a cry they didn’t know they were even holding in. As their voice died down, they slowly became aware of a baby screaming. It was such a shrill little sound, but it was also a loud and healthy sound. Malachite raised their head from pillows that had now been soaked through with sweat. They smiled faintly while their ears rang and their vision became blurry with freshly falling tears. The doctor wasn't between their legs anymore. She instead was looking down upon something the fourteen-year-old could barely see.

"Congratulations, Miss Harvey-Dahl," the teenager could hear the doctor say. "It's a girl."

The doctor held the newborn baby up for Garnet and Van to see. From what little Malachite could see of her, she looked so small and she still had her umbilical cord attached. It only took a few moments for Van to cut the cord and for Malachite to deliver the afterbirth. Malachite's exhaustion was overcome by joy at seeing their daughter being cleaned up and wrapped in a cerulean towel. The doctor then handed the baby over to Garnet.

Garnet felt herself tearing up while holding her new daughter in her arms. "Oh, Hope. I love you. I love you so much. I can't believe you're already here."

Hope slowly flickered her eyes open, trying to adjust to a world that had suddenly illuminated before her. Her eyes were a grayish-blue, which was typical for most newborns. That wasn't what Garnet noticed, however. Garnet couldn't help but notice that Hope had inherited almost all of Al's features, practically making her a spitting image of him. Guess that solved the mystery of who Hope's biological father was.

"Aw, this is the sweetest thing I've seen today," the doctor said while readying herself between Malachite’s thighs again.

“Give me my baby…” Malachite whined in a raspy voice.

"Hold on a second." Garnet doted on Hope for a few more seconds before handing her over to her biological mud. "Alright, Muddy, here you go."

Malachite received Hope into their arms. They didn't even feel their grandfather’s calloused hands carefully adjust them to more securely hold the little girl. Instead, all Malachite saw was that round, ruddy little face staring back at them with those grayish-blue eyes and a tuft of blonde hair sticking out of her head.

"H-Hey, Hope," Malachite stuttered for a bit. "It's me, your birth mud. I know you know your mom's over there by me. Uh, welcome to the world. I hope you like it so far because this isn't all you'll get to see." They awkwardly chuckled.

The teen didn't have time to say much more than that anyway before the contractions hit them once more, this time with renewed force and fervor that reverted them back into a hyperventilating mess. They sunk back into the pillows, huffing and panting while the contractions overtook them again.

Van was practically shitting himself at this point. Apparently, nobody had told him that his grandchild was actually having twins! Nevertheless, he tried to keep his composure.

"Do you mind if Garnet holds Hope again, Malachite?” Van asked his grandchild. “The doctor wants to make sure you don't accidentally hurt her while you deliver the next baby.”

Malachite gazed up at Garnet like a frightened child.

"She'll be right here, Malachite," Garnet calmly assured the fourteen-year-old. "I promise."

Hesitantly, Malachite loosened their arms around the blanketed bundle enough for Garnet to take Hope. Afterwards, they took a few short deep breaths and bore down again like their life depended on it. As they pushed, they began to feel pressure and pain down below, akin to something of a burning sensation between their legs. It was enough to force an agonized cry out of them.

"Holy shit, it burns!" Malachite moaned.

"I know, Malachite, I know," the doctor said. "But you're getting there. C'mon, buddy, you can do this."

Malachite was already somewhat tired from having to deliver Hope, so they were starting to get worn out. This time around, though, it didn't seem as painful as before. Their contractions came fast and hard, giving the fourteen-year-old little time to think much about anything except bringing this next child safely into the world. Then, seemingly out of the blue, Malachite felt the baby slip out and the pressure and pain leave almost instantly. The teenager sharply exhaled with both relief and exhaustion. Finally, it was over. Hopefully, they would never have to go through something like this again.

"Well, congratulations, Miss Harvey-Dahl," the doctor told Garnet with a smile. "It's a boy. Isn't that something? You have a boy and a girl. You must be so proud."

Just like before, Van cut the cord and Malachite delivered the afterbirth. Afterwards, the doctor whisked the baby away so he could be cleaned up and wrapped in a soft carmine blanket. The doctor then gently placed him in Van's arms.

Van just gazed down at his great-grandson. He had just come into this world, and yet he was already energetic and obnoxious and unleashing ear-piercing cries. Just like his sister, he had grayish-blue eyes and ruddy all around. However, his head had a thin coat of dark hair covering it just like Malachite's. He also bore somewhat of a striking resemblance to Ed, almost as if he were a close duplicate of him. Could he be that he had a different father than his sister?

"Garnet?" Van suddenly asked.

"Yes, Van?" Garnet asked back.

"What's this little one's name?"

Garnet gazed upon a sleeping Malachite and smiled. "Jonah. His name is Jonah."

"Ah, I see." Van cleared his throat. "Jonah, I don't think you have any idea how lucky you are. You and your sister will be going home to Delaware to be raised by a woman who found true love within herself. I mean, not only her... but her friends who have all been there for her for so many years. Now they will get to be there for you... as a family. I hope someday, when you're older, you will pay them back for everything they did for you. They deserve it..."

Van felt a wave of emotions overcome him all at once. His vision blurred up, tears began to stream down his face, and he realized he was crying. As much as Van wanted Malachite to change their mind at the last minute and keep Hope and Jonah after all, he knew that the babies ultimately belonged with Garnet. After all, Garnet would be able to provide those children with a much stabler home life than could possibly be expected from Malachite. She would be able to teach them that there was more to life than just being with someone, mainly because they could always find love within themselves.


	7. Chapter 7

Ruby and Sapphire were quite astonished when Garnet told them over the phone everything that had happened within the past several hours. As happy as the two wives were that Malachite made it through the process okay, they were even happier that they ended up with two grandchildren to shower with love. Maya, meanwhile, couldn't help but overhear the phone conversation. She couldn't wait to tell Goldie what had happened.

After they'd fully adjusted to everything they were told, Ruby, Sapphire, and Maya all headed down to the hospital where Van, Malachite, and Garnet had been for the last several hours. Maya herself was vaguely intrigued on what Van was actually like. Sure, he may have just been Professor Hohenheim to his students and coworkers, but what was he like to everyone else? This, of course, meant that Maya had to reschedule an appointment she was supposed to make with one of her clients Solaris. Surely, her client would understand, right?

Once they made it to the hospital and went through the entire signing-in process, they wasted no time finding the room where Malachite was being kept. What they saw next was somewhat surprising for the three women, but especially for Maya. While Malachite was sleeping, Van was sobbing uncontrollably on his knees next to the bed, holding Jonah in his arms. Garnet happened to be crying as well, but they were tears of joy.

"Mum, Mama," Garnet just said, tears still rolling down her face. "I'm so glad to see you, especially you, Aunt Maya."

"Thanks, Garnet," Maya replied. "From what I hear, it was a pretty intense birth."

"It was, but my children are here and they're healthy."

Maya gave a tiny, sad smile. "That's good. I just wish I could've been there to see it."

"Ay, no worries, Maya," Ruby chimed in. "Sapphire and I feel the same way, right, Sapphy?"

"Of course," Sapphire answered. "But no hard feelings. In fact, I think it was probably for the best that Ruby and I weren't there when our grandkids were born."

"Why do you say that, Sapphy?"

"You would've wasted no time getting freaked out just like when I was having Garnet."

"Aw, c'mon! I wasn't that bad, was I?"

Sapphire chortled for a second. "Ruby, you know I'm just teasing, right?"

Ruby blushed and sheepishly laughed in response. "Of course, Sapphy."

Moments later, Garnet mouthed something to Van and gestured at him to give her Jonah. After Van did so, Garnet steered him out of the room so he could sit down with his boys and their girlfriends.

"So... Garnet," Sapphire began to speak. "How do you feel now that your kids are actually here?"

"Hard to say, really," Garnet replied. "There are just so many emotions to deal with at once, you know? It's like I'm happy, but I'm also nervous as hell. Like... how can I be sure that I'll actually protect these children? What if I mess up or something?"

Ruby had to stifle a chuckle or two. "Garnet... we already talked about this. Your mom and I made some mistakes while we were raising you, and yet you turned out just fine. You're without a doubt one of the smartest and wisest people we know. You can definitely handle raising two kids without a partner."

"Thanks," Garnet said. "I guess I needed you to assure me of that again."

"No problem. Besides, it's not like you'll have to do it alone or anything."

"You're right. I can do this."

"I mean, hey, what are parents for?"

“Knock knock,” said a masculine voice.

Garnet, Ruby, Sapphire, and Maya turned around to see Ed, Al, Winry, and May standing in the doorway.

"Awesome, it's you guys," Ruby just said.

"Mind if we come in?" Al asked politely.

All four women shook their heads. This gave Ed, Al, Winry, and May the cue they needed to come into the room.

Al's eyes lit up while he moved towards Garnet, his mouth turned up in a grin as he gazed at Hope. “Wow, look at that, Ed. I’m a dad!”

Ed chuckled before getting a glimpse of Jonah. "Guess I'm a dad, too, Al. This baby seems to take a lot after me."

"Wait a second," Winry chimed in. "I thought you were only going to adopt one baby. What's going on, Garnet?"

Garnet just guffawed at the misunderstanding. "Malachite had twins, Winry. Isn't that amazing?"

"Yeah. Uh, just one question: what did you name these little cuties?"

Garnet looked back at the still-sleeping Malachite and smiled. "Hope Amaryllis and Jonah Wyatt."

Winry sighed dreamily. "Those are such pretty names..."

May just beamed up. "Hope and Jonah? Cool. Sounds like you put some thought into those names." She then stayed silent for a few seconds before asking, "So how did the whole birthing thing go?"

Garnet just gave a slight chuckle. "It was... a little gross. Also kinda bloody, but it was the most breathtaking thing I'd ever seen. It took several hours and a lot of pushing, but it was all worth it just for Malachite to bring these two angels in the world." She gazed down upon her new children.

Winry and May just stared in awe at the babies in Garnet's arms.

"Hey, uh, this might sound like a dumb question..." Ed began to speak nervously.

"Yes, Ed?" Garnet asked.

"...but is it okay if I hold my son?"

"Of course. That's not a dumb question at all."

Ed looked taken aback at her response. Garnet let Ed lift Jonah out of her arms, Ed's lower lip trembling as he brushed his thumb over Jonah's forehead ever so lightly. Instantly, Jonah decided that he wanted no part of this. He fussed and began to cry.

"Aw, crap," Ed groaned. "He doesn't like me."

Garnet just gave Ed a knowing half-smile while she took Jonah back. "I wouldn't really say that. It seems more like he's tired than anything else. I tell you what, why don't you and the others go eat at the cafeteria and you can hold your son later? Sound good?"

Ed and his gang just answered her with a chorus of "Yeah" and "Sure, why not?" before then rushing out of the room.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the waiting room, Van sat down on the cushioned chair, sighing out of relief and happiness. Finally, the most intense moment of his life was over. It wasn't until several minutes later that his two youngest children and their girlfriends joined him.

"So..." Van began to speak, an amused smile on his face. "What did you think of the new arrivals?"

"They're way the cutest!" May squealed out. "Ooh, I couldn't believe it."

"I'm glad to hear that. What about you, Ed and Al? What did you think of your children?"

"Same as May, actually," Al replied. "Well, Ed wanted to hold Jonah, but I guess Jonah was too tired or something because he started crying while Ed was holding him."

Ed growled in frustration. "I feel like such an ass..."

Winry let out a boisterous laugh and slapped him on the back. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Ed. Maybe one day, we'll get to have kids of our own who like it when you hold them."

"Don't remind me..."

"Sorry."

All of a sudden, the group could hear footsteps coming from down the hallway. Van turned to see who it could be, but he only saw shadows rounding the corner. Still, this couldn't have been good...

"Oh no..." Van just murmured.

"What's wrong, Dad?" Al asked.

"I think that's the sound of your older brother and his family coming this way."


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: this contains deadnaming and misgendering of a non-binary character.

William just stood there, his arms crossed and his face looking somewhat blank. 

Behind them were six of his seven children. First up was his oldest child Selim. He was supposed to turn nineteen in a couple months. Despite this and the fact that he was as tall as his father, Selim still had that boyish look to him. Next, there were the twins Solaris and Axel. Solaris and Axel were both somewhat good-looking at just seventeen years old, enough so that they could get modeling contracts if they so wanted. The twins’ black hair and dark eyes were easily traits someone would covet for themself. Axel, however, hid his eyes behind round dark shades. Then, of course, there was Bruce. Despite only being twelve (he would turn thirteen in May), he seemed to have already devoted himself to building up plenty of muscle for his body. Maybe it was because of all the strife at home and the stress that came with it... or maybe it was just because his mother Dante had forced it upon him. Either way, he seemed to be well on track for a bodybuilding career. Then there were the youngest two, Kirby and Bradley. Kirby was remarkably overweight for a nine-year-old, weighing just 100 pounds as opposed to the average 63 pounds. He also had little to no hair; and he had small eyes, an exceptionally thin upper lip, a short, upturned nose, and a smooth skin surface between the nose and upper lip. Kirby seemingly had little to no understanding on why he was here or what was going on around him, only caring about when he would eat next. As for Bradley, who was only six years old (he would turn seven in September), he was the only one of the children to have been adopted. His adoption had come during a dark time in the Hendersons' lives, but he still felt somewhat like a member of the family all the same.

"Father?" William just asked.

"What is it, William?" Van asked, somewhat irritated by his presence.

"Do you know where I can find Ivy?"

"Please don't call them that."

"What? What are you talking about? I just asked you where my daughter's room is."

"Malachite isn't your daughter. They're your child."

"Just tell me where Ivy is."

Van quickly stood up out of his chair and glared at William. "No."

"Careful, Father. Don't do or say anything I might make you regret."

"Like what, William? Like how you've had a normal childhood?"

William just glared back at his biological father. "How dare you."

"I dare. You're not special just because you were conceived through rape. You're not special because your stepfather resented you over how you were conceived. You're not special because your mother took out all of her frustrations on you. You're not special because your parents disowned you because you fell in love with someone they didn't like. And you sure as hell aren't special just because your siblings on your mom's side ignore you. Plenty of people have dealt with these things, but you know what? Not all of those people are like you. I can count on one hand the other people I personally know who have dealt with at least one of these hardships. One of Garnet's mothers was kicked out of her house because she dared to fall in love with another woman, for God’s sake, but she's nowhere near as bitter and angry as you are."

"What's your point?"

"My point is that the way you've coped with everything that's happened to you... you've been going about it all wrong. You've passed that on to your own children. How you've acted is affecting them. Have you ever considered that maybe the reason Malachite was sneaking off and fooling around in a love triangle with their own uncles was because you were too caught up in your own little bubble to notice something was up?"

William couldn't help but scowl. “That’s ridiculous. Ivy’s too much of a loner to do that kind of crap, right, Solaris?”

Solaris just smirked. “C’mon, Grandpa. You don’t know Ivy like we do.”

Now Van was starting to feel his blood boil. "No, you don't know Malachite like I do. The way you keep deadnaming them and misgendering them makes that very clear."

William just sighed in frustration. "I'm clearly not getting anywhere with you, Father. C'mon, kids. We can just go find Ivy ourselves."

William's children just chattered amongst themselves while they followed their father down the hallway. Once Van knew they were gone, he sat back down and tried to calm down.

"Man, I'm really sorry you had to deal with that," Ed apologized to his dad.

"Me too," Al added. "I really couldn't stand listening to them invalidate Malachite like that. I wish there was a way to change their minds."

"Unfortunately, I don't know if we can," Van just said. "People like your brother can be too set in their ways to realize how wrong they are. It doesn't matter if they'll ever change their minds or not. At the end of the day, we just have to live with the fact that some people would rather detach themselves from reality than ever admit that they were wrong."

* * *

Maya felt a chill go down her spine as she spotted William and his family heading towards Malachite's room. She quietly signaled to Ruby and Sapphire to go hide in the bathroom. 

Meanwhile, Garnet stayed beside her great-aunt while holding her children in her arms. She at least was familiar with the rest of Malachite's family. She'd heard stories about them. She'd heard about how the Henderson matriarch Dante was a QAnon supporter who still held out hope that former president Donald Trump would one day get another chance inside the White House. She'd heard about how cruel the Henderson patriarch could be. Garnet wanted to stand her ground in case the Hendersons tried to pull something.

"Hello, Miss Diamond," William just greeted Maya while he and his children practically forced themselves inside Malachite's room.

"What do you want, Mr. Henderson?" Maya asked, slightly annoyed by his unwanted presence.

"I just came to see Ivy, that's all," William just said while feigning a smile.

"Ivy? Oh, did you mean Malachite? I don't think they like when you call them that. Why do you want to see them anyway?"

"I'm here to take her home."

"Malachite just gave birth, Mr. Henderson. They have to stay for at least one more day."

"Of course she does. And who's this gorilla-looking woman beside you?"

"Who are you calling gorilla?" Garnet asked, a tinge of furious anger in her voice.

Maya placed a gentle hand on Garnet as a way to subtly restrain her. "That would be the woman adopting Malachite's children. Her name is Garnet Harvey-Dahl." Despite trying her best to hide it, an angry tremble ran through her body. There was something about this man that was pissing her right the fuck off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. Maybe it was the blatant disregard for Malachite's identity, maybe it was how he dehumanized Garnet, or maybe it was something else.

"So this is why you had to reschedule, huh?" Solaris suddenly asked her manager. "Funny, I thought it was because of something else."

"Miss Henderson," Maya sternly said. "Now is not the time to talk about that."

"Now is the perfect time to talk about it. Who do you think you are, telling me to reschedule? When I want to come in and do a recording session, goddamnit, I want to come in and do a recording session!"

"Miss Henderson, if you would just try to understand---"

Before Maya could finish her train of thought, Solaris huffed in frustration and slapped her manager so hard it left a five fingered red mark on her face. Now Maya was developing a migraine. How was she supposed to keep her composure when the Hendersons were testing her patience?

Maya just groaned exasperatedly while running her fingers through her hair. "For Christ's sake, Miss Henderson, I was trying to spend time with family. Is that such an alien concept to you?!"

Solaris and William looked at each other, uncertain how they could answer. It wasn't that they didn't love each other; they were just so dysfunctional that one had to wonder whether anything was keeping them together.

"Solaris," Garnet now spoke. "If I were you right now, I would think about leaving right now."

Solaris glared at this woman who dared to speak at her.

"Leave," Garnet said again. "Now."

William seemingly got the hint, and he took his six children with him out of the room.

Maya breathed a sigh of relief despite the migraine that still plagued her. "Thank God. I thought they'd never leave."


	9. Chapter 9

The next day, Garnet was finally starting to head home with her new children in tow. Ruby, Sapphire, Maya, Goldie, Van, Ed, Al, Winry, and May had managed to get Garnet everything she would need for the flight back to Delaware. (Van even advised Garnet to keep copies of the twins' birth certificates in her purse in case she needed to prove that they were her children.) Garnet herself could hardly contain her excitement at the thought of introducing Hope and Jonah to all of her friends. At the same time, however, she couldn't help but already miss her mothers. They'd done so much for her during the twenty-three years she'd been alive. Still, it was for the best. Sapphire would get to live happily ever after with her wife after everything she went through. She wouldn't get to sing like she wanted, sure, but she finally got a chance to be part of the music business. Ruby would've just been along for the ride, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

As for the rest of Garnet's friends (roommates and all), they initially weren't quite sure how to take the news that Malachite had had twins. Pearl was especially frustrated, having not anticipated that Garnet would in fact be bringing home two babies. Fortunately, Greg had been keeping Steven's old crib in a storage unit for years, so they were able to use it along with the crib already in the nursery. They also managed to make some last-minute changes to accommodate the two new arrivals.

The first thing Pearl, Amy, Belinda, Peri, Jasper, Nyoko, and Greg did was throw a homecoming party for Garnet and her new adoptive babies. Garnet was somewhat taken aback by the whole thing.

"Oh my God..." Garnet couldn't help but breathe while clutching the handles of the baby seats containing Hope and Jonah. "Guys, you didn't have to do this."

"It was the least we could do for you, Garnet," Pearl said. "We wanted to make sure you felt appreciated after everything you experienced with Malachite."

Garnet gently placed the baby seats down on the floor. "Thank you, guys. I owe you a lot for what you've done. Oh, I almost forgot. Guys, say hello to Hope Amaryllis and Jonah Wyatt Harvey-Dahl."

Garnet's roommates just oohed and awed at the new babies. Nyoko was the only exception, just staring at them blankly.

"Oh my gosh, they're so cute!" Belinda couldn't help but exclaim.

"I'm with Belinda on this one," Pearl added. "Oh my God, I can't believe how small they are."

Garnet just gave a light chuckle. "I can't believe it myself. I mean, these are my children. Sure, they may not have come out of me, but they are my flesh and blood."

"You feel any different now that they're here?" Amy asked Garnet.

Garnet nodded slightly. "I definitely feel anxious now. I feel on edge, almost like something's watching me."

"Ah, don't sweat it, Garnet," Belinda assured her friend. "You know we'll be here to help you, right?"

"Of course. You're my friends. I can count on you for anything."

"Now you got it."

"Thanks." Garnet let out a small yawn. "Would you mind if I napped for a bit? It was a pretty long flight."

"Not at all," Pearl said. "We can wait until you've had your nap before the party can begin."

Garnet gave a small smile. "Alright, I appreciate it."

With that, Garnet went into her room to doze off. With Garnet out of the room, the rest of the people started focusing their attention on Hope and Jonah. Belinda especially just laughed while picking up the baby seats and gently setting them down on the couch.

Amy gaped in awe. "Wow... twins."

"No kidding..." Jasper murmured. "They just look so... small. They kinda look like you did when you were a baby, Amy."

"You really think so?"

"I know so."

"So... I guess we should really talk about that time when Namęšéme Traversie raised me to think I was your aunt."

"Maybe another time."

Amy sighed. "Okay, but I do want to talk about it sometime."

* * *

"I want a divorce, William."

It was the last thing William expected to hear from Dante, his wife of nearly twenty years. That was all it took to bring him back down to reality. To say that he was stunned to hear it would have been an understatement.

"What the hell, Dante?!" William just yelled, still in shock. "We're in the middle of a birthday party, a birthday party for our little girl who wants nothing to do with us."

"You've been holding me back for I don't even know how long!" Dante yelled back at him. "When I wanted to go to the Capitol to take back the election, you told me to stay so we could get through with the adoption process for Bradley! I wanted to help make history, but you wouldn't let me, damn it!"

"I wanted to make sure you were safe at home. There was a pandemic going on!"

"You actually bought into that crap? I keep telling you, it's just the flu!"

"And just how the hell is COVID-19 anything like the flu?! What about all those people who died?"

The argument just went on and on like that, screaming over baseless conspiracy theories, downplaying a pandemic that happened over half a decade ago and killed more people than any world war combined, and domestic terrorism. Just listening to his parents fight yet again was enough to make Axel cringe. He'd only come to this stupid party because his parents had been the one to throw it, but it was just so goddamn lame. Not to mention, the person the party had been thrown for in the first place was nowhere in sight. He decided to kill some time by texting Ling Yao, a guy with whom he had a complicated relationship with. Axel could never be quite sure whether he actually liked the guy or not, especially since they'd had a casual hook-up the summer before and that was that. Plus, Ling had been seeing Lan Fan for close to a year now, so there was no way a relationship would pan out right now anyway.

"Man, this party sucks," Solaris just muttered.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Axel rejoined.

"Like, we don't even have any alcohol around here."

"Yeah. Where's the vodka or the Mike's Hard Lemonade to help live it up?" Axel started getting up from his seat. "I'mma go ask Selim to give me a fake ID."

Solaris scoffed at her twin. "Good luck with that. Selim will probably rat you out before you even get back."

"Yeah, right." With that, he'd left to go seek out Selim.

Solaris, meanwhile, started texting a friend herself. Seems her twin brother had the right idea on texting to kill time. The entire conversation was just mundane, asking each other how their day went and stuff. Finally, as if out of the blue, Solaris's friend asked: "So what are you going to do now?"

"What do you mean?" Solaris asked back, confused by the question typed before her.

"Didn't you just get sacked this week?"

Solaris was still confused by this. "Sacked? What are you talking about?"

"Your boss fired you because you kept deadnaming and misgendering your sibling. Is that true? Is that what happened?"

At that moment, Solaris's heart dropped to her stomach. That incident at the hospital got her fired? Wait, she'd been fired? This was the first she'd heard of it. Without even thinking to, Solaris left her friend on "Read" and tapped the news app on her iPhone. Sure enough, there was an article that confirmed Maya had dropped her as a client. She just stared at the article in total disbelief. She'd been fired, and Maya hadn't even had the audacity to tell her herself. She still stared at that article when Axel came back empty-handed.

"Did you get Selim to give you a fake ID?" Solaris finally asked Axel.

Axel shook his head. "He wouldn't budge. Man, I'm getting so sick of hearing Mom and Dad argue. I think I'm gonna move out."

"Move out? Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I feel like I'm losing my will to live every time I hear them arguing. Besides, after what happened back at the hospital... I don't think I'd even want to be part of this stupid family anymore."

"Why not?"

"I mean, you and Dad were treating Malachite pretty badly. Let's not kid ourselves here."

"Ivy is not---"

"Cut the crap, Solaris. Malachite is Malachite. There's no more Ivy, only Malachite. Get that through your fucking skull and maybe then you might understand. I'm getting out of here."

"Where are you gonna go? Do you even know how you'll leave?"

Axel just shrugged. "I'll figure it out."

It was with those words that Axel started to walk out not just on the party, but on his family. He was walking out on a bubble that had kept him comfortable and at ease for all seventeen years of his life. He dared not to tell his parents what he was doing. They'd figure it out eventually.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forget what I said about Chapter 6. Now this is the longest chapter I have ever had to write. I can't even believe I spent a week on it.
> 
> Anyway, this is where I'm going to end this fanfic. It's been fun, but this is where Ruby and Sapphire's story ends (at least for now). However, just because this fanfic is the endgame for Ruby Harvey and Sapphire Dahl... that doesn't mean I won't be writing about them ever again. I might consider writing a prequel about Ruby someday if I feel up to the task for it. I also might consider writing about Sapphire's life up until "Eyes on Me."
> 
> I digress. Thanks to each and every one of you who gave this a read. You make this all worth it.

_Eighteen years later..._

"Hello, fellow graduates. My name is Hope Harvey-Dahl and I'm absolutely flattered that I was selected to be this year's valedictorian for William Dewey High School."

I frown while reading the paper in front of me. The way I wrote that comes off as bland, I can't help but think. I keep reading anyway, wondering if the rest of what I wrote is any better.

"These last four years have been the most stressful of our lives, but they have also been the most rewarding. Just seeing each and every one of you here tonight is enough to make me smile."

I groan and crumple the paper up into a ball to throw across the room. Why can't I seem to make it work? For the love of God, I've been working on this stupid paper for close to a month but still... I can't seem to get it right. I flop back on my bed and give out a heavy sigh. All of a sudden, I can hear someone laughing. I glance over to my left to see Jonah, laughing it up like a storm. 

"Seriously?" Jonah asks while he continues to laugh. "Just relax, would ya? It's only a speech."

"It's not just a speech, Jonah," I tell my twin brother. "It's a valedictorian speech."

"So?"

"I have to give it in front of thousands of people! Don't you think it might be a little humiliating if it turns out to be the worst thing ever and everyone hates it?!"

Jonah takes a step back. "Whoa, whoa, sis! Take it easy."

I growl in frustration. "I can't! This speech is really important to me."

"Oh boy... it seems like all this pressure's getting to you. Tell you what, how about we go outside? Get some fresh air?"

I think about it for a minute. I have been struggling with what I could write down. "Alright, fine. Guess a break wouldn't kill me."

"That's the spirit."

Jonah gives me a hand in getting off the bed. We proceed to leave our room and join our mom in the living room. There she sits on the couch, along with Aunt Pearl and Aunt Belinda. I know Pearl and Belinda aren't our genetic aunts, but considering how close we are, they may as well be. Their daughter Hermione sits between them, watching Netflix on her phone. She's been binging the hell out of a cooking show lately.

"Oh, hey, kids," Mom says to us. "Where are you off to?"

"Just gonna go outside, Mom," I answer her. 

"And I'm coming with her," Jonah chimes in.

"What for?" Mom asks curiously. 

I just get to the point. "I gotta clear my head before I can work on my speech again."

Mom tilts her head at me. "What's wrong with it?"

"It's just... nothing seems to be coming together. I can't figure out how I'm supposed to make it seem organic."

"Hmm... can I read it while you guys are off on your walk?"

"Sure, why not? Just look for a crumpled up ball of paper on the floor."

"Alright, I'll do that."

* * *

Jonah and I leave the beach house and swiftly make our way down to Beach City. We first stop by the Big Donut to pay a visit to April and Alexandra. April is Sadie and Shep's daughter, around the same age as me and Jonah. She looks more like Sadie than she does Shep, but I don't think either of them really care. Alexandra, however... she and our grandmas go way back, even before Mom was born. Apparently, from what Grandma Sapphire told us, Alexandra had been there for them when Mom was born and she would even help out the family sometimes (even going so far as to pretend to be Uncle Steven's mom when he first met Aunt Connie's parents). Jonah and I haven't interacted with Alexandra much, but she seems nice.

"Hey, Hope," April greets us. "Hey, Jonah. What brings you guys here?"

"Hi, April," I greet back. "Uh, I've been having trouble working on my valedictorian speech."

"What exactly do you need help with?"

"Well, nothing specific, really. It's just... I feel like what I've written so far doesn't feel, um, natural."

"Maybe I could read over it?"

"Nah, sorry. I left it at home."

"Aw, too bad." A few seconds pass before April says something again. "So while you're here, do you guys want to order something?"

I think over my choices for a minute. So many things on the menu above me... I don't even know what I want to get most. Eventually, I settle on something. "Uh... two boxes, please."

"Two boxes of what?"

"Well, one box is half Boston cream and half blueberry. The other box is half glazed and half iced with white frosting and topped with sprinkles."

"Okey-dokey." She contorts her body towards the back door. "Hey, Alex! I need two boxes out here! One is half Boston cream and half blueberry; the other is half glazed and half iced with white frosting and topped with sprinkles!"

"Okay!" a voice from the back pipes up. "Coming up!"

It doesn't take very long until Alexandra comes out from the back and makes her way towards the counter. She precariously carries two donut boxes in her arms, with one box stacked on top of another.

"Congrats on becoming valedictorian, Hope," Alexandra says while handing me and Jonah the boxes. "You must be so happy."

"You kidding me?" I reply with stars in my eyes. "I'm fucking excited." Soon, my expression dims down. "I've just been having trouble putting together my speech."

Alexandra just tilts her head at me. "What's wrong with it?"

"I mean, there's nothing specifically wrong with it. I just can't seem to properly articulate what I'm saying without coming off as cliche."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Hope. I have trouble articulating myself sometimes, too."

"It's not that that I'm worried about. I just... I want this speech to be perfect, that's all."

"Hope, relax," April says. "You're putting way too much pressure on yourself. Mom always says that you just need to be yourself to make a lasting impression."

"Be myself, huh?" I squint my eyes at one of my oldest friends. "So what are you saying? That I need to stop overthinking and just write?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. Let the speech come to you naturally."

I sigh with reluctance. "Alright, if you say so."

April smiles at me. "Okay, so I guess the donuts are to-go, right?"

"Yep."

"I thought so."

Jonah and I say our goodbyes to April and Alexandra while we leave the Big Donut with our boxes. Next up, we decide to stop by and visit Lars, his wife Esmeralda, and their daughter Laramielyn. Man, is that a mouthful or what? Of course, they just call her Lara for short. They actually adopted her from the Philippines (the country where his parents emigrated from) about eight years ago. Honestly, she couldn't be any happier with them. She's only nine years old, but she's got a big heart and a lot of love to give.

"Hope, Jonah!" Lara exclaims excitedly. "You're here! You're here!"

I chuckle, amused by her little outburst of joy. "Yep, we're here."

Almost immediately afterwards, Lars and Emerald come outside to see me and Jonah standing there.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Barriga," Jonah greets the couple.

"Hey, dude," Lars just says. "So what are you and Hope doing here?"

"Just thought we'd stop by and possibly share some donuts with you," I reply quickly. "Also, I needed to take my mind off writing my valedictorian speech for a bit."

Lars' face lights up like a light on a Christmas tree as he suddenly remembers. "Oh yeah, that's right. Steven told me that you'd be graduating as the valedictorian of your class."

"Uh-huh. So can we come in and possibly have donuts with you?"

"Sure, whatever." I swear I can then hear Lars mutter under his breath, "Man, I envy you so much right now, Hope."

I'm sure you do, Lars. I'm sure you do. Jonah and I proceed to follow Lars and his family inside their house.

* * *

"How are you, kids?" Mom asks me and Jonah once we make it back into the beach house. "Did you try to take your mind off your speech like you hoped?"

"For a little bit, yeah," I reply. "Also, have you read it yet?"

"Absolutely." Mom then just gives me a light smile. "I don't really understand what you mean when you say nothing seems to be coming together. Looks perfectly fine to me.”

“It sucks, though.”

Mom gives me a pat on the shoulder. “Hope, sweetie, you’re putting too much pressure on yourself.”

“That’s what April told me!”

“Then maybe she’s onto something.”

My eyes dart down to the ground and I grumble a bit. “I mean, she did say I needed to stop overthinking this and just write.”

“Then that’s what you should do.” Mom takes her hands into mine. “It’ll be fine, Hope. I promise.”

“Alright, I believe you.” A couple minutes pass before I say something else. “So besides everybody in this house, who else is coming to see us graduate?”

“Well, I invited your birth mud and both your birth fathers and their families to come down here for the graduation.”

Jonah gives our mother a perplexed look. “Wait, where did you find the time to do that?”

“Found it last week,” Mom replies. “All I had to do was contact them on Zoom and tell them about your graduation.”

“Damn.” Jonah scratches the back of his head with his hand, slightly ruffling the bun he’s placed his long dark hair in in the process. “I didn’t think Hope and I would even get another chance to see our birth mud; well, in person, anyways. Sure, we’ll talk online with them every week, but...”

“Your mud misses you too, kids. They’ve told me how they sometimes wish they could’ve kept you if only their situation wasn’t so dire. They know they made the right decision to give you two up, but they can’t help but wonder at times.”

I nod to show I understand. “I can’t really blame them. Still, at least they’re happier now.”

"They certainly are. Oh, I've also invited your grandmothers, your great-grandfather, and your great-great-aunts to your graduation."

I stare at her, my eyes wide open. "Wait, you actually managed to convince Van to come all the way down to Delaware to see us?"

"Of course."

I still stare, in total shock as I let what Mom said sink in. "Even when he'll be going in for a colostomy next week?"

"Van told me that he'd find a way to squeeze in time to make the graduation and his colostomy."

"If he says he'll find a way, then I guess he will. Who else did you invite?"

"I invited your birth mud's brother and his partners."

"Partners? Is Axel part of a throuple or something?"

"Yep. He's in a relationship with both Ling Yao and his wife Lan Fan. They've even had kids together."

I just shrug at this. "Guess that works. Anybody else you invited?"

"I invited Uncle Steven and his family. Also, Mr. Scheele and his family will be there as well."

"Mr. Scheele? Man, I haven't seen him or his family in a long time. How's he enjoying retirement?"

"Very well, I must say. Loves spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren."

"That's nice."

All of a sudden, we hear the doorbell ring.

"Now who could that be?" Mom asks to herself while she approaches the door.

She opens it up to find Uncle Steven, Aunt Connie, and their ten-year-old triplets standing in front of her. The triplets are their two identical daughters Brihaspati (Bree for short) and Nova and their fraternal brother Comet. How they take after their parents varies, but it's apparent they inherited their parents' best qualities either way. Bree and Nova both take more after Uncle Steven than they do Aunt Connie, right down to his curly hair. Comet, meanwhile, looks like Aunt Connie except with lighter skin. Right away, I can already tell that Aunt Connie is pregnant again. Guess she wanted to wait until the triplets were close to entering sixth grade before she had another baby.

"Oh my gosh, Garnet!" Uncle Steven exclaims upon seeing Mom's face. "It's so good to see you!"

Mom softly chuckles. "You too, Steven. You guys are pretty early."

"We sure are. Oh, hey, we happened to run into the Elrics on the way down here."

Mom raises her eyebrows. "Oh, you did? How were they?"

"They were actually really nice," Aunt Connie replies. "Ed even invited us to a barbecue, but with more vegetarian-friendly options."

"So you're not hungry?" Mom asks, somewhat disappointed by the sound of it.

Aunt Connie shakes her head. "No."

"That's too bad. We were all supposed to go out to Kofi's pizza place to eat."

"Sorry, but we're full," Uncle Steven replies while dragging out the word "full." "We've got leftovers if you want some later."

"That's... fine, I guess. Do you want to stay with us this week? It might be cheaper than renting out a hotel room."

Uncle Steven gives a thumbs up. "Of course, anything for my little cousin."

Mom laughs. "I'm pretty sure you're smaller than me, Steven. Remember when Mama used to say Cutie Pie was your middle name?"

"Yeah, I still remember."

Jonah and I watch Mom and Uncle Steven yuck it up. It's so nice to see Uncle Steven again, especially when we only see much of him during family gatherings and stuff. Of course, he's got his own family now and he and Aunt Connie live about two states from us, but I can still remember Mom telling us how Uncle Steven had been struggling so much with his mental health before he found Mr. Scheele and turned things around. I can remember Mom telling us how Mr. Scheele turned out to be Uncle Steven's grandpa, something that came about because Great-Great-Grandma Diamond used Mr. Scheele's sperm to have our great-great-aunt Petunia. I can remember me and Jonah being at Uncle Steven's wedding, when he and Aunt Connie exchanged vows at the altar and made solemn promises to always be jam buddies (their words, not mine). I had been designated as the flower girl, Jonah the ring bearer.

I'm so lost in memories that I don't even notice that the triplets have taken over the conversation until Mom asks, "So I guess Ed's little boy really has a hold on you, huh, Bree?"

"Uh-huh," Bree replies. "I think I'm gonna marry him someday."

Uncle Steven, Aunt Connie, and Mom can't help but squeal at how cute Bree's crush on Yuriy (my cousin and also Jonah's half-brother) is. To them, her crush is just that: an innocent childish crush. Personally, I think that it's a little weird. Her crush on Yuriy might be cute to the parents, but I think that it could lead to a confusing family tree rivaling the Kardashians.

Jonah and I just look at each other, amused by everything that's happening in front of us.

* * *

Graduation day is finally here. I can hardly believe this is even happening. As I drive to school, so many emotions run through me at once; happiness, excitement, anxiety, sorrow... it’s like being on a roller-coaster, a roller-coaster designed with so many loop-de-loops that you always get thrown by the sudden twists and turns. Everything I'm feeling at once permeates the inside of my car. I do my best to focus on my driving. The last thing I want is to get into an accident and then end up late to the graduation ceremony. Jonah sits next to me in the passenger seat. He seems totally calm and collected. I can't believe this. Isn't he nervous, too?

"Still nervous about that speech?" Jonah asks me.

"Yeah," I reply. "I think I finally got the hang of what I wanted to evoke with it. Now I'm wondering how the audience will like it."

Jonah scoffs at that. "C'mon, they'll probably like it. It only took you, what, almost a month to finish it? What exactly did you decide to write about anyway?"

"Don't wanna tell you just yet. It's supposed to be a surprise."

"Not even a little excerpt?"

"Nope."

Jonah gives off some snorting laughter. "Alright, suit yourself."

I roll my eyes, then continue to focus my attention on my driving. All of a sudden, my phone starts to ring. I ask Jonah to get it for me and put it on speaker, and he answers it. A little to my surprise, it's Uncle Steven's dad Uncle Greg.

"Hey, guys!" Uncle Greg cheerfully greets. "Where are you?"

"Almost there, Uncle Greg," I reply, my eyes still focusing on the road. "Are you already inside?"

"Sure am. Hey, I've been talking with your mom, grandmas, and great-grandpa. They still can't believe you're valedictorian."

"Me neither. It seems kinda surreal, like I barely did anything to deserve this. It's like Impostor Syndrome, you know what I mean?"

"Oh, believe me, I've been there. Listen, I know you went through a lot, but it's gonna be alright. You've done so much to get to this point. And you know what? I bet it was all worth it."

I give Uncle Greg a sad smile. "Same. I still can't believe I'll have to go to New Jersey in the fall, especially for Rutgers University. I'm gonna miss you guys so much."

"Why do you have to go so far away from us, Hope? Aren't you sad that you'll be leaving us behind?"

"A little. I'm not actually going to leave you behind, though. It's just that out of all the colleges I applied to, Rutgers was the one who accepted me. It's not even that far away, really; just an hour and forty-seven minute drive. Besides, you could always give me a call or start a Zoom meeting with me if you want. Plus, I'll make sure to come home for every break and every holiday whenever I get the chance."

Greg tries his best to conceal his sadness, but his eyes still manage to produce some tears that roll down his face. "Oh gosh, this is having to say goodbye to Steven all over again."

"Hey, hey, take it easy, Uncle Greg," Jonah says. "It's gonna be alright. Let's just worry about this graduation thing right now. I'm stoked to get this whole thing over with, aren't you, Hope?"

"Yeah," I reply, trying not to let too much emotion permeate my voice.

And then... Jonah and I see it. We see our high school's main campus slowly come into view. 

"Hey, uh, Uncle Greg?" Jonah suddenly says.

"Yeah, Jonah?" Greg asks.

“I think I’m gonna hang up now. Hope’s about to drive into the parking lot of the school.”

“Awesome. Glad you guys finally made it. Alright, see you at the football stadium.”

“You too, Uncle Greg,” Jonah and I say in unison.

Uncle Greg then proceeds to hang up. As if by instinct, I park the car into the nearest spot on the parking lot, especially making sure to seamlessly press my foot on the brake and shift into park. Once I've done this and taken the keys out, Jonah and I then proceed to get out of the car and go inside. At the entrance, an official approaches us.

"Excuse me, Miss Harvey-Dahl?" the official asks me.

"Yes?" I ask back.

"Uh, you and your brother are gonna have to come with me out onto the football field."

"Lucky us. We were getting ready to head out there anyway."

"Of course... just come with me, please."

Jonah and I follow the official out to the football field where a large stage is waiting for us. We go up on stage, all the way behind enormous curtains that obscure us from the view of the audience. I can't believe it. I can't believe this is actually happening. I'm so excited, but also so... scared. What if they don't like my speech? I shouldn't be worrying about this, especially when it's much better than the one I wrote before, but here we are. Jonah and I watch our principal go through the curtains and practically disappear from sight.

"Ladies, gentlemen, and non-binary people," the principal begins. "I'd like to welcome you all to the graduation ceremony for the class of 2046. Congrats are in order for our graduating class. Starting us off is our valedictorian Hope Harvey-Dahl!"

I can hear the crowd erupt with applause as I walk through the curtains and towards the podium. I watch Jonah sink back through the curtains, leaving me to deal with the thousands of people (including family and friends) who will have to listen to me give my speech. I set my speech down onto the podium and look around me, taking a moment to evaluate my audience. 

I clear my throat and begin to speak. "Hello, everyone. My name is Hope Harvey-Dahl, and I'm absolutely proud to have been selected as this year's valedictorian."

My mind starts to wander at this point. I gotta focus! I have a speech to give!

"As I look around and see each and every one of you, I can't help but think that you must see me right now and think that this is what success looks like," I continue. "To you, success is a girl who works hard through school, makes good grades, gets into a good college, and makes a lot of money. While I did work hard and maintain good grades for four years, I'm just one of many success stories." Jonah instantly comes to mind. "Consider, for a moment, my twin brother Jonah. He has had to deal with a double whammy of ADHD and dyslexia his whole life. However, with the right kind of intervention at the right time, he was able to work exceptionally hard to study and learn everything he ever needed to know. And you know what? It all paid off because he now is determined to pursue a BA in music at Delaware State University. I eagerly wait for the day his Soundcloud takes off and he gets his first EP."

I can hear a few chuckles from the audience. I can't tell if they're laughing because of the Soundcloud thing or because of the speech. I keep going anyway. I can make out Grandma Sapphire's face from the crowd. I know she's watching me, and I can somehow tell that she is giving her full support for me.

"Then, of course, there's Grandma Sapphire. She was only seventeen years old when she found out she was pregnant with Mom. She went through hell before she and Grandma Ruby could give Mom the life she deserved: she and her mother were thrown out of the house after her father found out she was in a relationship with Grandma Ruby, she was on the receiving end of a lot of homophobia, and she initially had to sacrifice a lifelong dream of hers so she could help raise Uncle Steven. If you were to ask her if she would be willing to go through all that again just to get to this moment, she would probably tell you that she would." My eyes glance over to Grandma Ruby, who snuggles up next to Grandma Sapphire. "There's also Grandma Ruby. She completely abandoned her old life of partying and hooking up with other girls so she could be there for Mom, especially in a situation where any other seventeen-year-old would have just bailed. She's also had to prove time and time again that she is as much of a woman as her wife is, especially when it comes to all the transphobia she's had to deal with over the years."

The next person I focus my attention on is Uncle Steven. "There's also Uncle Steven. He went through so much pain and hardship when he was younger. His mother died when he was born, he spent the first three months of his life in the NICU, and Uncle Greg had to jump through hoops in order to provide for him as a single father. Uncle Steven also had to deal with some mental health problems as a teenager to the point of dropping out of school and nearly killing himself. Thankfully, Mr. Scheele was there to help him deal with the problems that had been plaguing him. Just the fact that he's here right now sitting in the audience is a huge accomplishment. He's also sinced married his jam buddy and had three beautiful children with her. He has had to deal with things most of us couldn't even begin to fathom, and I couldn't be any more proud to say he is my cousin."

Uncle Steven smiles at me, moved by what I had to say about him.

Lastly, I focus on my great-great-aunts Goldie and Maya. "And then there's Aunt Goldie and Aunt Maya. They achieved success because their circumstances were such that they could easily attain it. They got to have as much control over their record labels as they could, making them ideal career women in many people's eyes. As amazing as all that sounds, none of it would have been possible were it not for their mother, Great-Great-Grandma Diamond. While Great-Great-Grandma Diamond may have been dead for eighteen years, I can still feel her presence as I give this speech. When it came to following society's rules on how to be a typical woman, she broke them. She founded her own record label back when the music industry was dominated by men. She forwent finding a husband to have children with, instead becoming a single mother by choice and getting herself artifically inseminated. I acknowledge that she was by no means flawless and that she tried too hard to achieve perfection for herself and her children; and yet, her legacy is an immeasurable one, and I will forever be grateful that she paved the way for many musicians to follow their dreams."

I turn my head to look at the graduates behind me. I can see their faces exude eagerness and optimism while they wait to get their name calls and walk across the stage. I then focus my attention back on the audience before me.

"I look at each and every one of you tonight," I conclude. "In you, I can see a success story in and of itself. Each one of you has had to overcome obstacles, fight challenges, and work hard in your own ways to get to where you are right now. Therefore, I want everyone in the audience to remember that success is not just something you can find in a grade point average or in wealth or even in status. Success is overcoming whatever life throws at us, overcoming our own individual challenges, and pursuing our own dreams. I want everyone to remember that no two success stories are alike and success is something you have to seek out for yourself. So when you walk across this stage tonight, I want you to remember that you yourself are a success story; regardless of who you are, where you came from, or where you're going. Life, after all, is a journey, not a destination. Thank you."

I take a step back from the podium, waiting in bated breath for a reaction. Nerves once again take over. Then, to my surprise, the audience erupts with thunderous applause, showering me with laudations and admiration. I can hear it as it blasts all around me throughout the football stadium. The graduates then stand up and give me a standing ovation. I can't believe this. I did it. I was able to move an audience with my writing. I... I feel whole.

* * *

“Way to go, kid,” Malachite tells me. “That was great.”

“Thanks, Malachite,” I tell them. “It means so much to me to hear it from you.”

We’ve all gone out to eat at a fancy restaurant to celebrate me and Jonah graduating high school. We all decided that Greg would be paying for most of the food that we eat. Guess being a millionaire has its perks. Of course, most of us will be chiming in to pay as well. Malachite sits besides me and Jonah, talking with Van about their new girlfriend. From the way Malachite makes it sound, their girlfriend is one of the sweetest people on Earth. She also apparently has her own bakery, which I can get behind. 

Meanwhile, I reflect on what the future has in store for me. I remember reading once that the Aymara (an indigenous people that live in the Andes and Altiplano regions of South America) see time differently from other groups of people. Rather than perceiving the past as being behind them and the future being in front of them, the Aymara perceive the past as being in front of them and the future being behind them. I guess that stands to reason when I can't exactly see what the future will be like. I can, however, see what the past was like and learn a thing or two from it. After all, isn't that what hindsight is for?

"Congratulations, Hope," Aunt Maya tells me while clasping my hands into hers. "You earned this."

"So what are you going to do now?" Aunt Goldie asks.

I don't hesitate to give her an answer. "I think I might pursue a writing career."

"Good answer," Mom chimes in. "I can see you doing well as an author."

I give Mom a big smile. "Thanks, Mom. I know I can always count on you."

After tonight, I feel like I can handle any obstacle that comes my way, especially when I've got my family by my side.


End file.
